Bulgaria's surprise A league leaders Ludogorets Razgrad are about to seriously stir up the country's football transfer market by signing Parma's veteran striker Hernan Crespo, it has been reported.

Crespo has already accepted the offer, the 7 Dni Sport (7 Days Sport) daily has claimed. Ludogorets's millionaire owner Kiril Domuschiev allegedly expects him to arrive in Bulgaria in January.

The legendary Argentinian striker will be signed by Ludogorets on a loan deal worth at least EUR 300 000, with the club paying his salary only partially, according to the paper.

Crespo, 36, has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in the Italy's 2000-01 Serie A with 26 goals, while playing for Lazio. Crespo once held the world record in transfer fee, when he was bought by Lazio from Parma in July 2000.

It was recently reported that Hernan Crespo would leave Parma at the end of the season because he can no longer take the strain of high-tempo football.

Ludogorets, who were in the country's third division two years ago, surprisingly earned the honorary title of winter champions after they gathered a total of 36 points from 15 games.

Ludogorets have been jokingly nicknamed "Crazy Forest", an approximate translation of their name in Engilsh. The Ludogorie ("region of wild forests") is the region in northeastern Bulgaria in which the city of Razgrad is cituated.